Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair
My Little Pony: Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair, or simply titled Fluttershy and the Furry Friends Fair, by G. M. Berrow is the twelfth book in a series of chapter books published by Little, Brown and Company and the sixth book in a series starring the main cast. The story involves Fluttershy entering her pet bunny Angel in a herding competition. Production The book contains an exclusive giant Enterplay trading card, a My Little Pony Friendship is Magic standee of Fluttershy. According to the author, the plot of this book was inspired by a video of an actual sheep-herding rabbit she watched. The events of this novel are referenced by Applejack in Fluttershy Leans In, also written by Berrow. Summary A Little Bunny of Little Talent During an outing with Angel, Fluttershy discovers that a circus tent in Ponyville Park is promoting "Farnum and Failey's Top Hat Bunny Cabaret." From the way the event is promoted, Fluttershy quickly deduces that "Farnum and Failey" are actually Flim and Flam. She wants to avoid it, but Angel is excited to watch, so Fluttershy complies. Sure enough, the show is orchestrated by the Flim Flam brothers and consists of numerous rabbits performing tricks for the audience. Angel is completely amazed by the spectacle. When the show ends, Angel approaches Flim and Flam, wanting to be a part of their show. However, the brothers are dismissive of Angel when they realize he doesn't have any special talents to speak of. Saddened by this rejection, Angel falls into a depression that persists into the following day. In an effort to cheer him up, Fluttershy brings him to Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack and Winona are practicing for a herding competition at the upcoming Fine Furry Friends Fair. On the farm, Applejack and Winona herd a flock of sheep into a close group. Angel is so impressed by their performance that he wants to enter the herding competition too, and Fluttershy happily agrees to help. Angel the Sheepbunny With the Furry Friends Fair one week away, Fluttershy and Angel have difficulty picking up sheepherding. Despite Applejack's expertise and the rest of their friends' support, Fluttershy fears having to tell Angel the truth about his limitations. Rainbow Dash offers to whip the two into shape for the competition, and she recruits Fluttershy's bird friends to help. After some time spent practicing, the friends realize that among Fluttershy and Angel's biggest problems were Angel's inability to listen to commands and Fluttershy's inability to give them because of her soft-spokenness. Fluttershy dreads their performance at the competition and considers giving up. Fluttershy's friends cheer her up with snacks at Sugarcube Corner, and they tell her that it's just a contest and she should just have fun at the Fair. Unfortunately, their words of encouragement have little effect. As Fluttershy leaves to tell Angel that they're pulling out of the competition, her friends pay a trip to the Crystal Empire. A short while later, the ponies return to Fluttershy's cottage with a flock of Crystal Empire ewes in tow. Fluttershy feels much more confident surrounded by the little sheep and decides to give the competition another chance. The Fine Furry Friends Fair On the day of the Fair, as the other ponies enjoy various activities on the Whinnyland Boardtrot, Fluttershy and Angel rest in the competitors' waiting area. Fluttershy momentarily excuses herself to change into her performance outfit, but when she returns, Angel and the Crystal ewes have gone missing! While asking around on the fairgrounds if anyone has seen her missing animal friends, Fluttershy soon finds Angel and the sheep enjoying Pinkie Pie's performance in the chicken dance contest, not at all nervous about the herding competition. Fluttershy realizes that she had been projecting her own nervousness on her friends, forgetting that the importance of the Furry Friends Fair is to have fun. No longer nervous herself, she rounds up her animal friends (using some sheepherding techniques). Following Applejack and Winona's performance in the competition, Fluttershy and Angel surprise the crowd with both their sheepherding skills and the fact that Angel is a rabbit instead of a dog. The two are awarded second place. A few days later, a party is held in the Ponyville town square to celebrate the competition winners, and Angel beams with pride. When Flim and Flam approach and offer him a place in their Top Hat Bunny Cabaret, he declines. The book ends with Angel joining DJ Pon-3 in the DJ booth and trying his hand at deejaying. Quotes :Applejack: You just gotta get all the sheep into the enclosure, like apples in a crate. Simple as pie. :Pinkie PIe: Did I hear somepony say pie?! :Applejack: I did say it, but— :Pinkie Pie: Woo-hoo! I love pie! What kind are we having today? :Applejack: I'm afraid you're the only pie in sight, Pinkie. Winona and I are busy teachin' Fluttershy here how to herd sheep with Angel Bunny. :Pinkie Pie: Aww, bummer! Guess I'll just have to eat this instead. :Fluttershy: It's not me who wants to learn—it's my poor little Angel Bunny. It was those nasty Flim Flam brothers and their bunny cabaret. Angel wanted to join the show, but they said he had no special talents. :Pinkie Pie: Oh, I saw that show! It was really good. Love that macaroni bunny. Have you tried his three-cheese dish? Delectable-umptious. :Rarity: I heard that bunny trained at Le Fleur Garland—the best culinary academy in the world! When he's not performing in the show, he's been doing guest chef nights over at that new restaurant Grassy Mare Tavern— :Applejack: You ponies are not exactly helping. Close yer pieholes! :Pinkie Pie: Pie again, huh? I think you might be hiding something, Applejack— :Pinkie Pie: But Angel can do lots of things! Gummy says he tells the best jokes! Gummy Tell them that one Angel made up about the spoon and the garden gnome! :Gummy: reaction except for blinking a few times" :Pinkie Pie: Good one, huh? :Applejack: In all my herdin' days, I ain't never seen a flock disobey the routine like that! Not even Braeburn's dog, Albus. And that pup's come in last place at every competition. :Fluttershy: What's all this about? :Pinkie Pie: We brought you ewes to use! Or was it, use these ewes so you don't lose? :Fluttershy: Um, excuse me, miss? :Pink unicorn: Are you talking to me? :Fluttershy: Um, yes, if that's okay. See I've lost my sheep, and I was wondering if you might have seen them anywhere. See, we're going to be late for— :Pink unicorn: Oh, I'' get it! Look, it's one of those interactive plays with the actors who talk to you! It's Little Pony Peep! :'White earth pony': And you've lost your sheep? :'Fluttershy': Well, yes, actually. But I'm not an actor. I really did lose them. And my bunny, Angel... :'Pink unicorn': Riiiiiight. Though if you're going for authenticity, I don't think Little Pony Peep had a bunny in the story. :'Fluttershy': I, um, just have to go round up my sheep first. :'Rarity': Oh, darling. Hearing you say those words while wearing that costume has shown me how misguided the whole look was! I must have been subconsciously channeling one of Sweetie Belle's bedtime nursery rhymes. :'Announcer': Everypony, please welcome Applejack and her dog, Winonaaaaaa! :'Pinkie Pie': Woo-hoooo!! I mean, ''cluck, cluck! :Rarity: You can do it, darlings! :Twilight Sparkle: Complete all your elements correctly! It says the elements are the most important part! :Fluttershy: Yay. :Twilight Sparkle: Looks like you might have a sheepherding, DJ bunny on your hooves now! :Fluttershy: Maybe... I bet there's all sorts of new skills he'll want to try out now. I don't care if he herds sheep or bakes cookies or makes music. As long as he's doing what he loves, he'll always be number one to me. :Applejack: That'll do, Fluttershy. That'll do. References